The invention resides in the field of treatment of hydrocarbon fuels in liquid or gaseous form to increase the fuel burning efficiency by subjecting said fuel flowing in containment vessels or conduits to a shaped uniform magnetic field having a consistent directional flux.
The concept of exposing hydrocarbon molecules to magnetic fields dates to J. D. van der Waals and his experiments in the field. Hydrocarbon fuels have long branched geometric chains of carbon atoms which have a tendency to fold over onto themselves and on adjoining molecules due to intermolecular electromagnetic attraction existing between like molecules or atoms, which is known as van der Waals forces. In his experiments, van der Waals applied focused magnetic fields to hydrocarbon chains (oil) and found that the viscosity of the fluid decreased with the application of the field which, in turn, caused an increase in the flow rate in the fluid.
The experiment is noteworthy in that hydrocarbon fuels do not exhibit a dipole moment. It is to be understood that the hydrocarbon based fuel should not have responded as it did to the presence of the magnetic field. However, Faraday's investigations showed that all substances are magnetic, although in most cases the magnetic effect is very small. In the case of hydrocarbon based fuel, which was formerly thought to be a polar substance without a magnetic moment, the van der Waals experiment proved that electrons in all substances can be affected by an external magnetic field.
It is very important to understand that in a fluid which is subjected to an external magnetic field the electron excitation (magnetic moment) occurring affects molecular orientation. Due to the fact that we are dealing with a fluid, a rearrangement of electron, atomic and molecular symmetry occurs to accommodate the applied external magnetic field. This accommodation is attributed to the fact that on the molecular level a spinning electron subjected to a precise amount of electromagnetic energy will absorb that energy and "spinflip" into an aligned state. The exact amount of electromagnetic energy required to produce a "spinflip" is determined by the g-factor, the gyromagnetic ratio, discovered by Paul Dirac. Dirac noticed that whole atoms absorbed and released energy as the electrons underwent "spinflip".
The "spinflip" phenomenon is merely another way of describing the principle of Conservation of Energy. In the case at hand, this means that momentum can not simply appear and disappear, as momentum, i.e. angular momentum, is always conserved in any physical process.
When a magnetic force is applied, the moment as seen by the electron excitation causes the molecule to tend to align with the direction of the magnetic field. As the axis of the electrons become aligned with the external magnetic field, the angular momentum of the molecule no longer averages out to zero as in the normal case in molecules not possessing permanent dipole moments. The fluctuating dipole moments under the influence of the external magnetic field acquires a net attractive force which produces a stronger bonding with an oxygen ion.
As a result of the produced moment, the complex fuel molecules tend to uncluster, straighten and produce higher combustion efficiencies. The increase in combustion efficiency is attributable to the unfolding of the hydrocarbon molecules which produce an increased surface area for more complete oxidation of the fuel. The unfolding of the fuel molecules is the major effect of the dipole being removed from its neutral state by the applied magnetic field.
There is also a minor effect which contributes to the combustion efficiency, i.e. the unclustering of the molecular groupings. Hydrocarbon molecules have a tendency to interlock with other elements (impurities), not forming other compounds, but temporarily forming pseudo-compounds. Subjecting these pseudo-compounds to magnetic fields of appropriate strength and direction tends to uncluster the molecular grouping resulting in a reduction of fluid viscosity at the macroscopic level.
Increased combustion yields increased fuel efficiency with lower hydrocarbon emissions from hydrocarbon based fuel burning apparatus. However, certain problems remain to be overcome, such as whether to focus the magnetic field in opposition or directional alignment, determine magnetic field strength, select appropriate magnetic materials and determine mounting arrangements for the greatest efficiency. Earlier attempts have proven to be less than satisfactory, producing only limited results as can be seen from the discussion of the teachings of the several patents which follow.
One earlier device, as described in U.S. Pat. 4,956,084 [Stevens], attempts to prevent formation of scale on the inner wall of a conduit transporting hydrocarbon based liquid fuel with like poles positioned at diametrically opposite locations about the conduit. According to the Stevens patent, a particular arrangement of permanent magnets mounted into plastic boxes and arranged diametrically opposite each other with common poles of the magnet placed against the conduit about which the magnets and boxes are strap mounted is described. The effect is to prevent scaling from occurring on the inner walls of the conduit from the liquid flowing therethrough by forcing the molecules which would attach themselves to the inner walls of the conduit toward the center of the conduit.
There is no mention in the Stevens patent that the liquid is or may be a hydrocarbon based fuel (petroleum distillate) or that the particular arrangement of the magnets about the liquid containing conduit will assist in the burn efficiency of any liquid passing between the magnets. Nor is there any disclosure or teaching of a particular positioning along the length of the conduit in order to effectuate the intended result.
Other patents which are also deemed to be material to the present invention are discussed below. U.S. No. Pat. 5,059,743 [Sakuma] describes a treatment of hydrocarbon fuel using a magnet having a very weak magnetic flux density as well as a non-uniform flux density at each pole. The device disclosed in the Sakuma patent is described to be useful in the pre-treatment of fuel still contained within a storage system substantially prior to the time the fuel is being used. A disadvantage of any magnetic treatment of hydrocarbon based liquid fuels is that the magnetic treatment deteriorates with time. For this reason, coupled with the appreciably weaker magnetic flux density than that existing in the present invention, the device of the Sakuma patent is believed to be substantially disadvantageous in increasing the fuel burn efficiency.
Another patent, U.S. Pat. 4,357,237 [Sanderson], employs a cylindrical dual domain magnet having parallel, longitudinal magnetic fields for treating a number of fluids including water and liquid or gaseous fuels. The treatment process consists of the fuel flowing through a number of annular treatment chambers which subjects the liquid to a magnetic field substantially parallel to the direction of liquid flow. The present invention subjects the fluid flow to a magnetic field which is normal (or perpendicular) to the flow and is applied in a uniform direction. The device of the Sanderson patent subjects the fluid being treated to alternating magnetic fields which will create magnetic eddies and fail to affect the fuel molecules to extend or allow them to unfold so as to expose the maximum surface area of the molecules in order to achieve the maximum fuel burning efficiency.
Another patent describing the magnetic treatment of hydrocarbon fuels and other fluids is U.S. Pat. 4,716,024 [Pera] which discloses a device that employs flat, circular magnets having a central aperture. The magnets are suspended in a porous outer support and covering and are spaced apart so that the magnets are prevented from collapsing onto each other so as to provide multiple paths for the fluid to be treated to flow around, over and through the plurality of magnets in the device. The Pera patent is disclosing a system where magnetic fields extend primarily longitudinally through the device and substantially parallel to the fluid flow, although a field may be created for a short distance and duration which is normal to the fluid flow. However, the net magnetic effect is substantially parallel to the fluid flow. This is unlike the present invention which produces a magnetic field of constant magnitude and direction normal to the flow of the fluid to be treated. The staggered pattern of magnetic poles of the Pera device alternately change the earlier created dipole moment which has the disadvantageous effect of neutralizing the earlier produced polarizing effects on the molecules of the fluid. Taken as an entire system, the Pera apparatus provides only a polarizing or neutralizing effect of the last magnetic force applied to the fluid just prior to exiting the apparatus. This is not consistent with the constant reinforcing effect of the uniform constant magnetic field applied to the fluid fuel of the present invention.
Another device for magnetically treating hydrocarbon fuels is disclosed in U.S. No. Pat. 4,933,151 [Song] which utilizes flat, circular magnets also with a central aperture. The difference between the Song apparatus and the Pera apparatus is that the Song apparatus permits fluid to flow only through the central aperture of the magnets. This would have a beneficial effect except that the magnetic properties of the magnets are arranged such that like poles are placed immediately adjacent each other which essentially reduces the effectiveness of the apparatus as a bipolar device. When utilizing magnets with like poles facing each other, instead of subjecting the fluid to a uniform mono-directional field, the opposing fields cause a reversal of the dipole moment which is created in one magnet and then offset by the next successive magnet. Further, the Song apparatus uses magnetic fields of fairly low flux densities with the present invention utilizing flux densities approximately ten times greater to produce a more intense mono-directional additive magnetic field having a greater effect and being able to more readily polarize the long chain carbon molecules of the liquid fuel to cause them to unfold exposing a greater surface area and increasing the fuel burning efficiency thereby.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to increase the fuel burning efficiency of a hydrocarbon fuel passed through a conduit or containment vessel about which the apparatus is mounted in diametrically opposed positions to create a uniform magnetic flux density to affect the molecules of the fluid fuel in such a manner as to increase the fuel burning efficiency.
It is a further object of the present invention to create a uniform magnetic field normal to the fuel flow direction in order to create a more laminar flow of the fuel within the containment vessel or conduit and to affect the molecules of the fuel to achieve the more laminar flow by causing them to unfold when subjected to the uniform intensified magnetic field.
It is still a further object of the present invention to position the apparatus for intensified magnetic treatment of the liquid fuel in close proximity to a fuel injecting apparatus or carburetion system such that the effect of the magnetic field on the molecules of the liquid fuel will be maintained as the fuel flows into the fuel injection apparatus or carburetion system for either an internal combustion or diesel engine powered by a hydrocarbon based liquid or gaseous fuel.
Other objects will appear hereinafter.